I Guess I Don't Hate You
by ThatCalexShipper
Summary: Alex Cabot and Casey Novak hate each other...or maybe not.


**A/N: New chapter of "Case Closed" out tonight, but have a quick Calex one shot while I finish writing...**

Alex Cabot hates Casey Novak.

That's what most people would assume if they saw the two of them together.

They argue constantly, screaming harsh words at each other in the middle of one another's offices. Most times, Casey tries to storm away, only to be grabbed by the wrist by Alex, which ends in more explosive anger. Alex finds Casey irresponsible, unprofessional, and downright annoying.

Casey Novak hates Alex Cabot.

That's what most people think when they see them in court.

They might work well together, but everyone can see the way Casey glares at Alex. They never work directly together, only around each other. Many times, Alex has found herself outside of Casey's locked office, the redhead angrily shoving the blonde out. Casey finds Alex rude, disrespectful, and downright bitchy.

No one would ever think that the two would become friends, let alone lovers.

But that all changed one night...the night Casey Novak saved Alex Cabot's life.

"Cabot!" Casey yelled hurriedly, fear in her eyes as numerous people ran by them in an effort to escape the flames that had started licking at the walls, "Alex! Where are you?!"

Casey didn't really know why she felt like she needed to find the blonde, it wasn't as if they were friends, quite the opposite in fact, but still, a growing worry ate at her insides as she saw her colleagues run by, but not Alex.

"Novak! Let's go!" Liz Donnelly ordered, Casey turning to go, praying that Alex was outside waiting.

"HELP ME!" A faint cry came from down the corridor, Casey's eyes widening as she registered the voice as none other than her annoying colleague, although she sounded much less annoying with the fear in her voice. Casey immediately spun around, taking off down the corridor.

"Novak! Where the hell are you going?!"

"Alex is in there! I have to help her!" Casey called over her shoulder, not even bothering to turn and address Liz properly, her only concern being Alex, "Cabot! Where are you?! Alex?! Can you hear me?!"

"N-Novak?!" Alex's voice sounded shocked, but Casey was relieved when it was clearer, quickly figuring out that Alex was trapped inside her office, part of the wall having collapsed and blocked her exit.

"Just hang on Alex, I'm gonna get you out of here!"

"W-Why do you even care?"

"Not that this is the time to discuss this, but no matter how you annoy me, I'm not gonna let you die. Not if I can help it." Casey grunted, shoving debris away from the wall, her arms quickly becoming covered in soot, and she let out a yelp as her wrist got caught on a nail, blood immediately seeping onto her skin.

"Casey?!" Alex sounded panicked, something Casey never would've thought Alex Cabot was capable of feeling.

"I'm okay, just got scratched by a nail. I'm coming, okay? Stay safe." Casey kicked away the largest piece of the ceiling, hearing Alex's yelp of concern. She managed to yank the door open, her eyes landing on an ash covered, shaking Alex, who stood in the corner with wide eyes. Casey could see why, the fire having reached the opposite side of the wall. The redhead held out her hand, Alex immediately latching onto it, sighing in relief when she was yanked into Casey's embrace, not even thinking about how weird it was that she was hugging the woman that just earlier that day she had yelled at.

"Thank you."

"Anytime, Cabot. But we really gotta get the hell out of here." Casey felt Alex nod, and she pulled away, both women quickly running out the door and down the corridor to the exit. They managed to get to the door, when suddenly Casey heard the ceiling creak. The redhead leapt into action, shoving Alex out the building, the blonde stumbling and landing hard on the ground. As Alex was about to turn and yell at Casey, she heard the terrible crack as the entire ceiling collapsed.

"NO! CASEY!" Alex screamed, her throat burning from the force of her words, the entire DA's office watching as Alex scrambled to her feet, yelling over and over, "CASEY! PLEASE NO! NO! CASE! CASEY! NO THIS ISN'T HAPPENING!"

Alex Cabot was in love with Casey Novak, and if Casey's actions spoke for her, Casey Novak was in love with Alex Cabot.

The entire DA's office saw it, as the firefighters pushed Alex aside to try and locate the body of the redhead. The entire DA's office watched as Alex sank to her knees, her whole body shaking with sobs as she whispered Casey's name over and over.

"WE GOT HER! SHE'S ALIVE, BUT BARELY!" Alex's head snapped up as she saw one of the firemen run out of the building, the limp form of Casey's body held in his arms. Alex let out a guttural wail, one of both relief and terror, and it scared everyone, because Alex Cabot never got terrified. The blonde watched with wide eyes, as the EMT's rushed over, Casey's body hurriedly thrown onto the stretcher. Alex ran over to the ambulance as they loaded Casey in, tears streaming down her face.

"Please, can I come?"

"Are you family?"

"She's my girlfriend." Alex lied easily, desperate to stay with the woman who saved her life. The EMT's nodded, Alex quickly jumping into the ambulance, grabbing Casey's limp hand, letting out another sob at how weak it felt. Her Casey wasn't ever weak. Her Casey would yell at her for touching her, probably. Alex's mind swirled with memories of the redhead, not watching as the EMT's pumped oxygen into her body, instead she let her mind wander to the few happy memories of Casey she had, vowing to change that.

" _Alex, I brought you coffee...no sugar, half cream, half coffee?"_

" _You remembered?"_

" _Of course I did!"_

" _Come on, Alex, you've never been skinny dipping?"_

" _No! Why does it not surprise me that you have?"_

" _Come with me next time, it'll be so much fun Ms. Cabot...Ms. Cabot...Ms..."_

"Ms. Cabot!"

"Hm what?" Alex jolted out of her memories, the EMT looking at her with pity, and Alex watched with pained eyes as Casey was wheeled away into the hospital, Alex quickly following.

"Ms. Cabot? We're taking Ms. Cassandra Novak down to surgery to reset her leg, and afterwards she'll be in her room on heavy oxygen to clear out her lungs, and heavy medication to help with the pain and the burns." A doctor walked up to Alex just as she was about to go demand information from him. Alex watched as they wheeled Casey off, tears shining in her eyes.

"Casey."

"What was that?"

"Casey. That's her name. She hates being called Cassandra...it was one of the reasons I did." Alex softly smiled at that, the doctor sympathetically patting her shoulder, "Will she be okay?"

"Fortunately, Ms. Novak wasn't severely burned, in fact, she only seems to have second degree burns on her torso and lower legs, and she didn't inhale too much smoke, so yes, she will make a full recovery. Her leg might take a while to heal, but she'll be just fine." Alex exhaled visibly at the doctors words, new tears of relief falling from her eyes. She once again entered her mind, this time reflecting on how much she knew about Casey, the two of them arguing so much she found herself knowing more than she thought. Casey hated flowers, unless given by her significant other in person, although Alex understood that one, knowing the redhead had been attacked. Casey hated fake sports fans, she loved softball, she hated when Alex tapped her pen on the table, and she liked it when her and Alex got along. Alex vowed to always make sure the redhead liked her.

"Alex!" A familiar voice once again pulled Alex from her thoughts, and the blonde looked up to see the concerned faces of the entire SVU squad, minus Munch, Fin, and Cragen. Olivia had been the one to call out her name, "How is she? Is she okay?!"

"Y-Yeah she'll be okay, they're fixing her l-leg now but they said she'll make a full recovery."

"How are you, Alex?" Olivia's voice softened as she saw the tears and the pain in her friend's face.

"I'm fine, Liv. I didn't even get more than a scratch."

"That's not what I meant."

"Do you mean, am I freaking out over the fact that the one person on the planet who has the ability to drive me absolutely crazy, to make me want to punch her in the face, and the one person on the planet that I am absolutely, one hundred percent in love with is lying in a hospital bed, close to death because of me?" Alex snapped, rounding on Olivia, making Amanda step in front of her protectively, "Then yes! Olivia, THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT I'M FEELING!"

"Alex..." Olivia stepped forward, giving Amanda a grateful smile before laying her hand on Alex's shoulder, grunting as Alex's body slammed into hers, quickly wrapping her arms around the crying blonde.

"I'm sorry! God, I'm sorry! I just, I love her so much, and I never knew until I almost lost her, and now, if anything goes wrong, I might not get to tell her!"

"You will. Alex, Casey is strong, and so stubborn. You know this." Olivia comforted the distraught ADA, smiling as Alex let out a small laugh at the brunette's words, "She won't leave you."

"Ms. Cabot?"

"Yes?" Alex whipped around, nearly knocking Olivia off her feet with the force of her spin.

"Ms. Novak is awake, and she's asking for you." Alex let out a breath of relief, her eyes fluttering shut for a moment before she followed the nurse down the hall, promising Olivia she'd tell her when Casey was ready for them.

"Casey?" Hesitantly stepping into the room, Alex's heart skipped a beat as she saw the pale redhead lying in bed, the oxygen tube making noise as it forced air into Casey's lungs through her nose.

"A-Alex." Casey croaked, her voice even raspier than normal, sending another jolt through Alex's heart. The blonde quickly moved to Casey's bedside, sitting in the chair besides her, and taking a cold hand between her own, "You're okay?"

"Thanks to you, my savior."

"Oh hush, you would've done the same for me." Casey choked out before coughing violently, making Alex jump in concern.

"Okay no more talking for you...besides I have to tell you something important anyways." Alex placed a finger over Casey's lips as she opened her mouth to protest, "Shhh. Just listen. I'm so sorry for how I've treated you. I wasn't being fair, and it was a bitchy thing to do. Truth is, I was scared. Scared that people would like you more than me, scared that you'd replace me entirely, but mostly, I was scared about my feelings for you. But after coming so close to loosing you, I realized I don't want to ever fight with you like this again. I guess I don't hate you, I love you, Casey Novak. I don't know how, but I fell in love with you."

"That was a beautiful speech, Alex, did you rehearse that in the waiting room?" Casey quipped, watching as Alex blushed, coughing again before saying, "Now shut up and kiss me."

Alex looked up at the redhead, her eyes widening as she realized Casey was serious. Quickly recovering, she leaned over the bed, placing her hand on the side of Casey's face, tilting her towards her before capturing her lips between her own, moving against the redhead's mouth gently. When they pulled apart, Alex rested her forehead against Casey's, her eyes closed in bliss.

"Oh, and Alex?"

"Hm?"

"I love you too, but please don't get trapped in another burning building, I don't think my body can take anymore." Alex let out a bark of laughter at the redhead's word's, quickly kissing Casey again in response. When Olivia and the rest of the squad came by later on, they found Alex asleep with her head on the bed, Casey's fingers tangled in her hair as she too, slept, both of their hands tangled in each other's.


End file.
